The Honda Civic: Still a superstar

“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” has Harrison Ford in the limelight lately but, surprisingly, no one has mentioned his similarity to the Honda Civic.

Until now, right here.

Harrison Ford achieved celebrity status in 1973 with his supporting role in “American Graffiti,” and the Honda Civic established itself as a blockbuster in 1972 when it debuted. The man and the car are still superstars in their respective fields, and have generated billions of dollars for their producers.

And there you have it.

In recent years, Civic’s tremendous success has been challenged by a less than stellar response to the ninth-generation model introduced in 2011. Competitive brands didn’t do Honda any favors when they simultaneously came out with attractive new compacts.

Honda, however, has come back with a vengeance: a 10th-generation Civic for 2016. Wider, lower and with a longer wheelbase than the previous version, it’s entirely new in every direction and has been supplied with upgraded features and technologies.

With looks resembling those of an Acura and approaching the build quality of that Honda premium brand, the 2016 Civic now has a roomier cabin and offers the choice between two all-new four-cylinder engines delivering more horsepower and better fuel economy. The first, a 158-horsepower 2.0-liter, is the most powerful base engine ever used in a Civic. The second, another history-maker, is Civic’s first turbo: a 1.5-liter generating 174 horsepower and 162 lb-ft of torque.

There are five trim levels in the lineup: LX, EX, EX-T, EX-L and Touring. The base model LX comes standard with a six-speed manual transmission and the option of a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). All other trims have a CVT.

You’ll find the 2.0-liter engine under the hood of LX and EX models, and the 1.5-liter turbo sitting in the same location on the remaining three models.

Pricing and gas mileage numbers are compelling. The LX with manual gearbox goes for $19,475 including an $835 destination charge. At the other end of the spectrum, the Touring model runs $27,335 including destination charge. EPA fuel economy ratings are 27 mpg city and 40 mpg highway for the 2-liter with manual transmission and 31/41 with a CVT. Numbers for the turbo engine and its CVT are 31 mpg city and 42 mpg highway.

The Civic EX sedan I drove proved itself to be an energetic performer even though not blessed with the livelier turbo engine. In collaboration with the faultless CVT, it behaved gracefully on tight curves as well as the open road.

Comfort and quietness levels within the new Civic cabin are remarkably good, especially for a compact car. Great creativity was employed in designing the center console, which has an assortment of sliding and moving parts providing a multitude of different stowage configurations.

An eight-speaker audio system with 7-inch touchscreen is standard on the EX, along with the telematics equipment considered basic on just about every new car now.

The tester’s list of standard features is generous yet its total vehicle price is south of $23,000. It includes the Honda Sensing Package, a suite of driver-assistance technologies sure to appeal to drivers who want all the help they can get: adaptive cruise control, collision mitigation braking system, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, lane keeping assist system, and road departure mitigation. Because of all the guidance it provides, I like to call it the Sensei Package.

If I were doing the shopping and had to stay near the same price point, I’d go for the turbo engine and ixnay on the Sensing Package. Not that I don’t need all the help I can get, but I’d rather concentrate on staying alert behind the wheel and use that money for the navigation system instead.

2016 HONDA CIVIC FOUR-DOOR EX

Base price, including destination charge: $22,875

Price as driven: $22,875

Mary Lowry is an independent automotive writer who lives in Snohomish County. She is a member of the Motor Press Guild and a board member of the Northwest Automotive Press Association. Vehicles are provided by the manufacturers as a one-week loan for review purposes only. In no way do the manufacturers control the content of the reviews.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Business

Black Press Media operates Sound Publishing, the largest community news organization in Washington State with dailies and community news outlets in Alaska.
Black Press Media concludes transition of ownership

Black Press Media, which operates Sound Publishing, completed its sale Monday (March 25), following the formerly announced corporate restructuring.

Maygen Hetherington, executive director of the Historic Downtown Snohomish Association, laughs during an interview in her office on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024, in Snohomish, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Maygen Hetherington: tireless advocate for the city of Snohomish

Historic Downtown Snohomish Association receives the Opportunity Lives Here award from Economic Alliance.

FILE - Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs poses in front of photos of the 15 people who previously held the office on Nov. 22, 2021, after he was sworn in at the Capitol in Olympia, Wash. Hobbs faces several challengers as he runs for election to the office he was appointed to last fall. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)
Secretary of State Steve Hobbs: ‘I wanted to serve my country’

Hobbs, a former Lake Stevens senator, is the recipient of the Henry M. Jackson Award from Economic Alliance Snohomish County.

Mark Duffy poses for a photo in his office at the Mountain Pacific Bank headquarters on Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Mark Duffy: Building a hometown bank; giving kids an opportunity

Mountain Pacific Bank’s founder is the recipient of the Fluke Award from Economic Alliance Snohomish County.

Barb Tolbert poses for a photo at Silver Scoop Ice Cream on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024 in Arlington, Washington. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Barb Tolbert: Former mayor piloted Arlington out of economic brink

Tolbert won the Elson S. Floyd Award, honoring a leader who has “created lasting opportunities” for the underserved.

Photo provided by 
Economic Alliance
Economic Alliance presented one of the Washington Rising Stem Awards to Katie Larios, a senior at Mountlake Terrace High School.
Mountlake Terrace High School senior wins state STEM award

Katie Larios was honored at an Economic Alliance gathering: “A champion for other young women of color in STEM.”

The Westwood Rainier is one of the seven ships in the Westwood line. The ships serve ports in the Pacific Northwest and Northeast Asia. (Photo provided by Swire Shipping)
Westwood Shipping Lines, an Everett mainstay, has new name

The four green-hulled Westwood vessels will keep their names, but the ships will display the Swire Shipping flag.

A Keyport ship docked at Lake Union in Seattle in June 2018. The ship spends most of the year in Alaska harvesting Golden King crab in the Bering Sea. During the summer it ties up for maintenance and repairs at Lake Union. (Keyport LLC)
In crabbers’ turbulent moment, Edmonds seafood processor ‘saved our season’

When a processing plant in Alaska closed, Edmonds-based business Keyport stepped up to solve a “no-win situation.”

Angela Harris, Executive Director of the Port of Edmonds, stands at the port’s marina on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024, in Edmonds, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Leadership, love for the Port of Edmonds got exec the job

Shoring up an aging seawall is the first order of business for Angela Harris, the first woman to lead the Edmonds port.

The Cascade Warbirds fly over Naval Station Everett. (Sue Misao / The Herald file)
Bothell High School senior awarded $2,500 to keep on flying

Cascade Warbirds scholarship helps students 16-21 continue flight training and earn a private pilot’s certificate.

Rachel Gardner, the owner of Musicology Co., a new music boutique record store on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024 in Edmonds, Washington. Musicology Co. will open in February, selling used and new vinyl, CDs and other music-related merchandise. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
New Edmonds record shop intends to be a ‘destination for every musician’

Rachel Gardner opened Musicology Co. this month, filling a record store gap in Edmonds.

MyMyToyStore.com owner Tom Harrison at his brick and mortar storefront on Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2022 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Burst pipe permanently closes downtown Everett toy store

After a pipe flooded the store, MyMyToystore in downtown Everett closed. Owner Tom Harrison is already on to his next venture.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.